1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of money clips and card holders, and more particularly to a novel combined money clip and card holder having dynamic and positive clamping means for holding a quantity of folded money and having a card receptacle for holding a quantity of cards, with improved frictional engagement between the holder and the cards.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
In the past, it has been the conventional practice to employ a holder having a spring clip on one side for retaining a quantity of folded money, such as bills or the like, and on the opposite side a receptacle for holding a quantity of business or credit cards. Such a conventional money clip and holder is disclosed in U. S. Pat. No. 5,358,019. However, problems and difficulties have been encountered with such prior money clip and card holders which stem from the fact that the spring clip has a permanent bias which becomes weakened after use and, therefore, renders the clip unsuitable for holding folded bills. Also, the receptacle for holding the cards relies on a reduced surface area with the cards for personal retention. Thus, as the self-biasing spring clip fatigues, the life of the holder as a means for holding folded cash is limited, while the receptacle for holding cards is ineffective since the frictional retention area is insufficient to retain cards in the receptacle during prolonged use.
Therefore, a long-standing need has existed to provide a combined money clip and card holder which promotes long life and usage for releasably retaining folded money, such as paper bills or the like, and which further includes improved retention means for holding a plurality of cards in a receptacle.
Accordingly, the above problems and difficulties are avoided by the present invention which provides a novel, combined money clip and card holder having a flat plate with a money clip on one side and a card holding receptacle on the other side. The money clip includes an outwardly projecting mount defining an inner space which is partially occupied by a hinge member which includes a helical spring having opposite ends which bear against one side of the plate and the other side against the mount. A latch member is carried on the hinge and is spring-biased into a closed position with its free end against the plate when on one side of a toggle line and wherein the latch member is loose when positioned on the other side of the spring-toggle line. Therefore, the latch may be completely open when on one side of the spring-toggle line while biased into the closed position on the other side of the spring toggle line. With respect to the receptacle, the receptacle is defined by a pair of lobes which extend from side members towards one another in spaced-apart composition. The receptacle is defined between the sides and the undersurface of the lobes so that a plurality of cards may be slipped against the plate under the lobes for retention. A projection outwardly extends from the plate serving as a stop so that cards introduced into the receptacle can travel a limited distance and can reside in the receptacle against the stop. A feature of the invention resides in providing the lobes with a plurality of apertures so as to remove unnecessary material and, therefore, lighten the overall holder. The lobes are of broad surface area so as to engage or contact a substantial area of the outermost card in the stack which is stored in the receptacle.
Accordingly, it is among the primary objects of the present invention to provide a combined money clip and card holder which is light in weight and which includes a spring-latch on one side of a plate and a card holding receptacle on the opposite side of the plate, wherein the latch is spring-biased between two positions on opposite sides of a spring toggle line.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a novel combined money clip and card holder having an improved receptacle for holding a plurality of cards wherein the retention means presents a frictional surface area for frictionally contacting a substantial area of an uppermost card in the stack.
Still a further object of the present invention is to provide a novel combined money clip and card holder which is not only light in weight but which has improved spring-latching means for holding folded money and which further includes superior frictional holding means for a card holder on the opposite side of a center plate from the spring latch means.
A further object resides in providing a money clip and card holder combination having a pair of stop tabs inwardly projecting from the sides of the card holder to arrest movement of cards from a storage cavity or receptacle.
Another object resides in providing side tabs integrally formed with the sides of a card holder for limiting positioning or insertion of cards into a storage cavity or compartment.